Research and projects officer jobs

WDC’s Games For Waves initiative engages the gaming and streaming communities to raise funds and awareness for whale, dolphin and ocean conservation. The Influencer Lead will help drive this mission by developing strategic digital fundraising events, managing relationships with creators and influencers, and creating impactful content.

The role of Head of Legal reports to the Director of Legal & Governance and you will assist them in ensuring the legal function of the organisation runs efficiently, smoothly and that we proactively identify and address legal risk and development needs.

You will be responsible for overseeing and managing the day to day legal affairs of the organisation.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Identify legal risk and propose mitigations and solutions.
• Proactively identifying issues and resolving problems efficiently.
• Providing guidance and advice to colleagues
• Developing and managing the suite of legal templates in use across the organisation, proactively identifying areas for improvement and / or development and working collaboratively to develop new templates as needed
• Ensuring internal legal requirements are well designed and understood and are aligned to delivery of strategy
• Ensure that internal legal processes run smoothly
• Make sound, timely decisions that support sustainable, long-term strategic outcomes.

This is a part time, fixed term role and can be based at any of our hubs located in Birmingham, Leeds or London.

For more information, please download the Job Recruitment Pack.

Due to receiving high volumes of interest in our opportunities, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it as soon as possible.

We are looking for an outstanding individual to join our Development and Alumni Relations team to help guide and deliver ourregular giving and stewardship programmes. The ideal candidate will have experience of running successful major fundraising appeals to large audiences. They will have the ability to draft persuasive and accurate copy to support both fundraising and stewardship literature. They will be highly motivated and creative, driving new initiatives to boost participation, increase overall giving, while also increasing retention of donors through an outstanding, tailored stewardship programme. They will be a team-player who can work autonomously when required, but can work collaboratively, and will support other team members with aspects of their work.

The Development and Alumni Relations Office leads the process of generating long-term and consistent voluntary income for Merchant Taylors’ School, and forrunning a comprehensive alumni and parental relations programme.

The Development Manager (Fundraising and Stewardship) will be responsible for planning, managing and having an input to the strategy for a regular giving programme at Merchant Taylors’ School, with a focus on increasing the participation (giving rates) of both our alumni and parental constituencies, as well as donor retention through planning and executing a stewardship programme for benefactors of all levels. Some face-to-face fundraising may also be required, particularly relating to legacy fundraising and the post-holder will build a portfolio of mid-level donors they will manage.

About the role:

Battersea is entering an exciting phase of innovation and transformation as we embark on the first year of our new five-year strategy. With increased investment in income generation starting in 2025, we are expanding our team to drive the growth necessary to achieve our organisational goals. Our fundraising team bridges the journey of the animals in our care with the wider public, demonstrating how their contributions enable us to support every dog and cat. We now have several new roles within this team to further our mission.

Main purpose of the role:

This is a new role working within Battersea’s Income Generation department to develop and deliver the campaign plan for a £4-6million pound capital fundraising appeal.

One of the key pillars of Battersea’s current strategy is to ensure that we continue to provide expert care for all the dogs and cats that come through our gates. One of the ways in which we do this is by investing in our facilities to ensure that they continue to meet the changing needs of the animals we care for. This fundraising campaign will help to achieve that aim.

You will work with teams across Battersea to develop a comprehensive plan for the campaign and co-ordinate the work of multiple specialist teams to deliver the campaign on a day-to-day basis. You will also be responsible for developing a clear governance structure for the campaign, and ensuring all stakeholders are kept informed of progress. You will also oversee and track progress of a series of internal process improvements that support the running of the campaign.

Please note, this is not a direct fundraising position, but will support our fundraising teams in delivering ambitious financial targets for the appeal.

What we can offer you:

In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

• 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year
• Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources
• Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution
• Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year
• Annual interest-free season ticket loans

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Our hybrid working model:

We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.

Diversity and inclusion:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.

We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best.

More about us:

At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Acceptable use of AI:

At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.

To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.

Closing date: 28th September 2025

All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Interview date(s):

First Stage (online): w/c 6th and 13th October 2025

Second Stage (in person): to be confirmed

For full details on the role, please download the recruitment pack from our Careers website.